Photo: Chiddingstone Castle by Nigel Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
About this place
Chiddingstone Castle stands in the village of Chiddingstone, near Edenbridge in Kent, on a site the Streatfeild family held as their seat from the early 16th century.
Much of what visitors see today was rebuilt in the early 19th century, though earlier fabric survives beneath it.
Inside, the rooms hold an unlikely mix of Japanese, Egyptian, Buddhist and Stuart and Jacobite collections, gathered by a single 20th-century owner rather than inherited through generations.
The castle and its 35 acres of grounds have been held in trust for the nation since 1977.
Read more on WikipediaHistory
The Streatfeild family built and occupied the castle from the early 1500s until they left at the start of the 20th century. Lord Astor bought the estate in 1938, and it later passed to the collector Denys Eyre Bower, who acquired it in the 1950s and filled it with his own finds. Since 1977 the property has been looked after by the Denys Eyre Bower Bequest, the charitable trust set up in his name.
Architecture
The castle's present form owes most to an early 19th-century rebuilding, though it incorporates elements of the Tudor structure the Streatfeilds first raised on the site. The grounds also hold a Grade II* listed Victorian orangery.
Worth knowing
The castle's collections were assembled by one owner, the collector Denys Eyre Bower, rather than built up by a family over generations. They range from Japanese armour and lacquerware to Egyptian antiquities and Stuart and Jacobite relics.
Gardens & grounds
The 35 acres of grounds include a fishing lake and woodland walks, alongside the Grade II* listed Victorian orangery.
Facilities
Plan your visit
Nearest station: Penshurst Rail Station (1.6 miles)
Open March to October on Thursday to Sunday; check official website for specific dates and closures.
Nearby properties
Historic places nearby
Within 5 miles of Chiddingstone Castle there are 3 historic properties, including 1 castle, 1 garden and 1 historic house, across Historic Houses and National Trust sites.
Within 10 miles of Chiddingstone Castle there are 14 historic properties, including 6 historic houses and 4 historic buildings, across Historic Houses, National Trust and Churches Conservation Trust sites.
Within 20 miles of Chiddingstone Castle there are 45 historic properties, including 20 historic buildings, 11 historic houses and 5 castles, across National Trust, Historic Houses and English Heritage sites.
Facts
One eccentric collector's Japanese, Egyptian and Jacobite treasures, all under one Kent roof.
- Type
- historic house
- Location
- Kent, England
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